This blog presents information about the 62 men named on the WW1 memorial from St James Church, Toxteth.
Use the tabs below or the search bar to navigate the site. The Names page has links to each man. Please leave comments or email me at thewarmemorial@gmail.com

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Private James Llewellin 4386, 53831,

There were only 2 results for James Llewellin on the CWGC, one was from Bristol and the other from Liverpool.

There were several possible James Llewellins on the Liverpool census records and I am indebted to Kathy Donaldson for supplying the information that helped me identify the correct family.

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James Llewellin was born inLiverpool on 12th April 1891.

He was baptised on 17th May 1891 in The Parish Church of St Peter. His parents were John and Ellen Llewellin of Lowndes St and John was a carter.

(source, parish records ancestry.co.uk)

The 1891 census was taken before James's birth but it shows that his family lived at 12A Lowndes St and on census night John and Ellen Llewellin were home with their 2 sons John W and Stephen. Also at their house were Ellen's sister (Amy Kenyon) nephew (Ephrahim Kenyon) and mother (Catherine Kenyon).

1901 census records show that John Llewellin had died and Ellen was a widow and working as a charwoman. She was living (on census night at least) with her widowed mother Catherine Kenyon (laundress) and Ellen's children John Henry (aged 15 and working as a railway clerk) Steven (aged 13) James (aged 9) and Benjamin (aged 7). They were living at 27 Beamish St.

Ellen Llewellin died in 1906.

The 1911 census shows that James and his brothers were taken in by family.

John (aged 25) and James (aged 20) were at the house of their widowed aunt Elizabeth Henning (formerly Elizabeth Kenyon, sister to Ellen) John was a boiler-maker labourer and James a shoe-maker. Also on the census return are their cousins, including Elizabeth Ann Henning aged 24 and a pickle packer who married John Llewellin in 1913. They were living at 10 Hampton Street.

Steven Llewellin (aged 23 and a range and grate fitter) was enumerated at the house of his uncle William Henry Llewellin (poulterer) - brother to John Llewellin.﻿ They were living at 10 Admiral Street.

Benjamin Llewellin (aged 18 and a shop boy in a drapers) was living at the house of his uncle and aunt William and Rebecca Kenyon. They lived at 30 Lawler St, Litherland.

I haven't found any service records for James Llewellin and his medal card (below) doesn't have much information on it. It shows that he was in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers as a private with the regimental numbers 4386 and 53831.

(image source ancesty.co.uk)

UK Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919

ENTRY FOR JAMES LLEWELLIN

Name:

JamesLlewellin

Birth Place:

Liverpool

Death Date:

26 Feb 1917

Death Location:

France & Flanders

Enlistment
Location:

Liverpool

Rank:

Private

Regiment:

Royal Welsh Fusiliers

Battalion:

1st Battalion

Number:

53831

Type of Casualty:

Killed in action

Theatre of War:

Western European Theatre

Comments:

Formerly 35175, Liverpool Regiment.

This gives us some more information, we can see that James was in the 1st Battalion of the R.W.F. and that he was formerly in the Liverpool Regiment with a third regimental number. He was killed in France and Flanders on 26th February 1917.

His family placed the following notices in the Liverpool Echo on 30th July 1917:

LLEWELLIN - reported missing February 26 1917, now officially reported killed in action, Private James Llewellin R.W.F. third son of the late John and Ellen Llewellin, of Dingle. Sadly missed by his brother and sister-in-law John & Lizzie also Aunt Lizzie and all at 44 Wesley-street, also brother Ben somewhere in France.

LLEWELLIN - Private James Llewellin R.W.F. third son of the late John and Ellen Llewellin, (sadly missed by brothers Ben and Steve, also by sister-in-law Maggie.)

He nobly rose to his country's call;

He gave his life, his best of all.

The battalion war diary for the day (see below) shows that 5 men were missing after the action on 26th February 1917, his family had to wait almost 5 months for confirmation of his death.

James Llewellin has no known grave and his name is inscribed on the Thiepval Memorial, France.

Here is the War Diary of the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers for the day that James was killed:

12:15 a.m.Orders received by telephone from 91st Brigade
that our Artillery would bombard PUISIEUX from 2a.m.
to 6.20a.m. and that patrols were to
be pushed out close to barrage and then go through the village at 6.20 a.m.
and establish posts on the northern side.

B, C, and D coys ordered to send 3 patrols each and
2/borders to push patrols on N of SERRE ROAD

12:40 a.m. Brigade Order confirmed

1.17 a.m. message from D coy that touch had been gained with 8 N
Staffs in RHINE TRENCH

8 a.m. Battalion came under orders of G.O.C. 22nd
Infantry Brigade who now took over the line.

10am message from 2nd Lieut Mills (D Coy) that his
patrol was held up by a strong point at about L 19.d.50.50 (this was afterwards
proved to be about 200yds of this point and off the SEREE
ROAD)

10.10 a.m. D Coy reported that patrols of 2/borders were retiring. They
did not start till 8 a.m. )/C D Coy ordered to
advance his line to RHINE TRENCH from L.19.c.30.30 to junction of PENDANT
TRENCH and RHINE TRENCH.

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This is my hobby which is slowly taking over all my free time!
I love history and researching and I am particularly fascinated by the First World War and how it affected the people of Liverpool. I believe very strongly that War Memorials should be protected and cherished and shared so that the sacrifices made by our local communities are never forgotten.